Piano amplifier



Feb. 18, 1947. J SCOTT 2,416,225 I PIANO AMPLIFIER Filed sept- 14, 1944 Patented Feb. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIANO AMPLIFIER John H. Scott, Tulsa, Okla.

Application September 14, 1944, Serial No. 554,066

3 Claims.

This invention relates to sound amplifying devices and more particularly to a sound amplifying device for a percussion instrument.

An object of this invention is to provide a sound amplifying means for a percussion instrument, such as a piano or like instrument, which is attached to the soundboard and will amplify the vibrations of the soundboard.

Another object of this invention is to provide in combination with the soundboard of a percussion instrument a sound amplifying attachment which is adapted to be secured to the soundboard at spaced points about the latter.

A further object of this invention is to prvide a sound amplifying cone for attachment to a percussion instrument soundboard, the cone including a vibration transmitting means whereby the vibrations of the soundboard will be communicated to the cone outwardly of the apex thereof.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may. hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangements of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail rear elevation, partly broken away, of a sound amplifying means constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I0 designates generally a soundboard which forms a part of a percussion instrument, and is provided with an outstanding bracing rib II. In order to provide a means whereby the audible vibrations of the soundboard [0 may be amplified, I have provided an amplifier construction generally designated as 12, which is secured to the rib II or to any convenient location on sound board I0 and extends outwardly therefrom. The amplifier construction i2 includes a fibrous cone M which has extending from the apex thereof a sleeve 13. A sound post or supporting member I is glued or otherwise firmly secured as at I6 to the outer side of the rib I l and is of such length as to extend interiorly of the cone. The sound post 15 is secured to the sleeve l3 by glue or other suitable fastening means so that the apex or small end of the cone [4 will be firmly supported from the post l5.

A disc shaped vibration transmitting member I! is secured to the outer end of the post l5, and preferably a headed screw I8 extends through the disc I! and through the center of the post l5 and engages the rib II. The disc H is formed with convex inner and outer surfaces l9 and 20 and the outer marginal portion of the disc I! is of reduced thickness and is secured as by glue 2| or other fastening means to the inner side of the cone l4 outwardly of the apex thereof.

A fibrous disc 22 is glued or otherwise firmly secured to the outer convex side 20 of disc I! and is formed at its outer marginal portion with a flared skirt 23 tapered coincident with the taper of the cone l4 and secured as by glue or other fastening means 24 to the inner side of the cone I4.

In the use of this amplifying means the post I5 is glued and secured by the screw l8 or by hard wood dowel to the outer side of the rib H or to any convenient location of the surface of soundboard. There may be as many of these cones secured to the soundboard as may be desired and they may be spaced about the soundboard at appropriate points for amplifying the audible and inaudible vibrations of the soundboard. As soundboard IU vibrates and rib II also vibrates these vibrations will be communicated to sound post l5 and fromsound post IS the vibrations will be picked up by disc I! and as this disc is firmly secured at its outer margin to cone i4, the latter will vibrate, and these vibrations will be amplified and will be directed rearwardly of the soundboard I0.

What I claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a sound amplifying means for attachment to a sound vibrated member comprising a cone-shaped body, a supporting member fixed to and extending from the apex of said body, said supporting member extending inwardly of said body from said apex, a vibratory disc fixed to the inner end of said supporting member and to said body spaced from the apex of the latter, and a fibrous disc-shaped member secured to said disc and said body.

2. A sound amplifying attachment for a sound- I board comprising a cone-shaped body, a cylin- 3. A sound amplifying attachment as set forth in claim 2 including a fibrous disc-shaped member secured to said disc, said disc-shaped member including a flared marginal portion fixed to the inner side of said body, and means extending through and secured to said disc-shaped member, said disc and said sound post for fixing said attachment to the sound board.

JOHN H. SCOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 10 Number 89,413 204,740

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Moser Dec. 9, 1924 Jones July 5, 1927 Rubinstein Oct. 27, 1942 Moore Sept. 10, 1901 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date German Nov. 27, 1896 German Dec. 5, 1908 French Oct. 21, 1908 

